Isaiah – Chapter 27

Old Testament • 13 Verses

Chapter Summary

Chapter 27 of Isaiah begins: "In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent,…" Jacob stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 13 verses, two threads run through the text: sin and divine judgment and God's mercy and forgiveness. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, and shall slay the whale that is in the sea.

2In that day there shall be singing to the vineyard of pure wine.

3I am the Lord that keep it, I will suddenly give it drink: lest any hurt come to it, I keep it night and day.

4There is no indignation in me: who shall make me a thorn and a brier in battle: shall I march against it, shall, I set it on fire together?

5Or rather shall it take hold of my strength, shall it make peace with me, shall it make peace with me?

6When they shall rush in unto Jacob, Israel shall blossom and bud, and they shall fill the face of the world with seed.

7Hath he struck him according to the stroke of him that struck him? or is he slain, as he killed them that were slain by him?

8In measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, thou shalt judge it. He hath meditated with his severe spirit in the day of heat.

9Therefore upon this shall the iniquity of the house of Jacob be forgiven: and this is all the fruit, that the sin thereof should be taken away, when he shall have made all the stones of the altar, as burnt stones broken in pieces, the groves and temples shall not stand.

10For the strong city shall be desolate, the beautiful city shall be forsaken, and shall be left as a wilderness: there the calf shall feed, and there shall he lie down, and shall consume its branches.

11Its harvest shall be destroyed with drought, women shall come and teach it: for it is not a wise people, therefore he that made it, shall not have mercy on it: and he that formed it, shall not spare it.

12And it shall come to pass, that in that day the Lord will strike from the channel of the river even to the torrent of Egypt, and you shall be gathered together one by one, O ye children of Israel.

13And it shall come to pass, that in that day a noise shall be made with a great trumpet, and they that were lost, shall come from the land of the Assyrians, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall adore the Lord in the holy mount in Jerusalem.

Important Verses in Isaiah 27

“In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, and shall slay the whale that is in the sea.”

Isaiah 27:1

“Or rather shall it take hold of my strength, shall it make peace with me, shall it make peace with me?”

Isaiah 27:5

“In measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, thou shalt judge it. He hath meditated with his severe spirit in the day of heat.”

Isaiah 27:8

“And it shall come to pass, that in that day a noise shall be made with a great trumpet, and they that were lost, shall come from the land of the Assyrians, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall adore the Lord in the holy mount in Jerusalem. ”

Isaiah 27:13

Historical Context

Isaiah belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for judah in crisis, the exiles in Babylon, and all who await the Messiah. Chapter 27 of 66 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 13 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Jacob appear at the center of the events recorded here. It opens with the line: "In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan…" The chapter ends with: "And it shall come to pass, that in that day a noise shall be made with a great trumpet, and they that were lost, shall…" Read against its original backdrop, Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem during the Assyrian crisis, calling kings to trust God rather than alliances. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Isaiah around Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC).

Who Wrote It

The prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem; chapters 40-66 continue his message through inspired disciples

When It Was Written

Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC)

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Isaiah 27 presents a concrete episode in the history of judgment, comfort, and messianic hope. A pivotal line is verse 1: "In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, and shall slay the…" The passage repeatedly touches on sin and divine judgment.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 1431). Here, Isaiah's prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, especially the Suffering Servant (CIC 601). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize sin and divine judgment as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God's salvation reaches to the ends of the earth. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Isaiah 27 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • ✓Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • ✓God's mercy is greater than any sin; He calls us to receive His forgiveness and extend it to others.
  • ✓Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.

People in This Chapter

Jacob2 mentions

Reflection for Today

Catholic exegesis approaches Isaiah Chapter 27 with reverence, seeking both the literal sense and the spiritual meaning ordered to Christ.

Catholic theology recognizes that judgment, comfort, and messianic hope is not an abstract idea but a reality encountered in prayer, sacraments, and charity. This chapter contributes to that vision by stressing the call to holiness in ordinary life.

May your reading of Isaiah Chapter 27 become true lectio divina: read the words, meditate on their meaning, respond in prayer, and rest in God's presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to show how God's salvation reaches to the ends of the earth applies to your life today.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Isaiah Chapter 27 about?

Isaiah 27 contains 13 verses. It opens with "In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan…" and closes with "And it shall come to pass, that in that day a noise shall be made with a great trumpet, and they that were lost, shall…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles and poetry.

What is a key verse in Isaiah 27?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "In that day the Lord with his hard, and great, and strong sword shall visit leviathan the bar serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, and shall slay the whale that is in the…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Isaiah Chapter 27?

This chapter mentions Jacob.

Who wrote Isaiah and when?

The prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem; chapters 40-66 continue his message through inspired disciples. Isaiah's ministry about 740-700 BC; the book's later chapters address the exile and return (6th century BC).

Related Chapters

1 Chronicles 16Shares people and themes with this chapterPsalms 58Shares people and themes with this chapterSirach 45Shares people and themes with this chapter

Prayers Related to This Chapter

🙏Act of Contrition🙏Kyrie Eleison🙏Divine Mercy Chaplet🙏Gloria in Excelsis

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